Life Moves On
by magakee
Summary: Happens 11 years after Christine's death, but what if Erik had also died? Now, the Opera Populaire is back and has a new theatre ghost - Gustave. With the strange events about to take place, is Gustave's new identity a secret, or will things take a turn for the worst? My first fanfic, please read and review! (Disclaimer). Gustave/OC.
1. A Strange Nightmare

**Note: This is my first time writing in third person so sorry if its a little shaky! I loved LND and POTO though, so I hope you enjoy! (My story takes a few chapters to start rolling btw).  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything from LND or POTO.  
Please read and review!  
_**

**Chapter One**  
**A Strange Nightmare**

"Bonjour!" echoed the now vacant hallways of the St. Marie academy in Paris.  
"Shh!" Eloise begged Brigitte covering her mouth and stifling a laugh. "I'm falling asleep…" she mumbled trying hard to keep her sagging eyelids from falling completely.  
"You're not a bad student you know… just a little slow." Brigitte reassured, turning in her sheets and sitting up. "Work on the pronunciation."  
"It's not my fault Mademoiselle is barely giving us any time to ourselves." Eloise let out a yawn and let her head sink into her pillow. "Besides, her English isn't that fantastic either…" She added. Brigitte moved to come sit at her heels.  
"Why can't you fall asleep?" Eloise moaned. Brigitte was beginning to remind her of her four year old brother at home. Not once had he fallen asleep comfortably.  
"I'm too excited." Eloise noticed that sleep was slowly beginning to drift away from her and so she sat up, eager to hear Brigitte's story.  
"For what?"  
"I overhead Mademoiselle talking about a trip to the Opera house – won't that be exciting?"  
"You mean the Paris Opera house that burnt in eighteen seventy?" Eloise felt her heart beat faster as she recalled the stories her mother had once told her about her trips to the Opera house. She recalled stories about La Carlotta and how her mother had always hoped she wouldn't be cast as the lead, although oddly, the seats of the opera were always filled. She remembered how not all of the opera's had been in French, but sometimes German or Italian – all languages her mother could speak fluently. Eloise missed her mother dearly since her father cast the divorce three years ago. She still remembered her mother's youthful face and milky skin, her long blonde hair and stunning green eyes...

"It's been renovated. The first Opera is opening next week, it's supposed to be a children's play. L'Enfant et les sortilèges, I think." Brigitte's eyes lit up. "Wouldn't that be perfect?" Eloise had known Brigitte since she enrolled in the academy during the summer. Their mutual love of music had brought them together, yet Eloise felt sadness when Brigitte spoke of her memories of the theatre and the music her dead father used to play. Regrets of leaving her father for France, never letting her mother teach her to play the piano, and never singing to anybody all rushed to her mind whenever Brigitte spoke of music. Eloise suddenly felt a tight knot in her throat that she couldn't swallow.  
"I don't want to go." She mumbled, turning over to face the other way.  
Brigitte appeared before her quickly and turned the lamp on next to her, "Why not? You said so yourself you never had any time for yourself. Are you scared?"  
"Why on Earth what I be scared?"  
"It's because of the ghost that lives there – isn't it?" Brigitte whispered, looking around.  
Eloise felt her hands shake once more and the knot harden to a point where she felt tears leap into her eyes, "There is no ghost Brigitte. Go to sleep." Of course there w_as_ somebody there – ghost or not. Eloise had known of this all her life. Included in her mother's fascinating tales from her youth, she always mentioned box five of the Opera house being filled by a man with pale skin and a mask covering his face wearing dark clothing and gloves. Eloise had never heard anything of him except for how mysterious he was and what a large role he played in the very fire that burned the Opera House her academy was suddenly taking a trip to.  
"Goodnight, Eloise." Brigitte pat Eloise's head and ventured of to her own bed, leaving Eloise thinking of the horrors her mother had once spoken of.

She recalled sitting cross legged at the foot of her mother bed as her father slept, anxious to hear another story.  
_"He wasn't all terrifying Eloise. I think they put him there to attract tourists."_  
_"What if he is real? What if he is a ghost?"_  
_"Eloise, these are no thoughts for a girl your age to have." And of course Eloise was only seven, thinking she had knowledge beyond her years, which of course of true. Not everybody knew that though, and that's why growing up, she didn't have many friends. Brigitte was probably her first one._  
_"Mom?"_  
_"Yes?"_  
_"What if he's still there?"_  
_"You don't need to worry Eloise; we're not in France anymore. You're here, with me."_  
_"Do you think he's still there?"_  
_Knowing her daughter's tendency to stretch out a subject, Geneva nodded happily, unsure of her own motive. "I think he is Eloise. Maybe he has married or has a seven year old or his own. Like you."_  
_"Like me?"_  
_"Yes. Perhaps he asks his father silly questions before bed too."_  
_Eloise chuckled at her mother words, "My questions aren't silly!"_  
_"Everyone asks silly questions sometimes, but we mustn't become fearful of our own imagination Eloise."_

Lying silently on her bed, Eloise prayed that she wouldn't let her active imagination get the best of her once more, cringing at how little she had changed in ten years. She felt the knot in her throat loosen as bitter tears streamed down her cheeks. Moving to France to study French hadn't been easy, especially during the last few months. Nightmares of her mother and father, her lonely childhood, and the stories that lingered in St. Marie academy often woke her in the middle of the night and causing her imagination to begin overworking again. She feared gravely that if Brigitte found out what went on her tortured mind, she would lose her to and have only her father to talk to for the rest of her life. Once he died, she would have no one – wandering un wanted and alone for the rest of her life. She felt her heart pound violently against her aching chest once more before she felt sleep take her away.


	2. An Unexpected Guest

**Chapter Two**  
**An Unexpected Guest**

Gustave let his fingers skim the dusty organ that sat in what was once his father's home. He didn't want what Erik had once wanted, no not at all, but he wanted to have his father remembered. It wasn't fair that he had lived the life of a monster only to be forgotten so easily. His fingers found his face suddenly as is burnt in pain. How would he face the world with such a face? He found himself stuck in the same mental state his father had once been in.

"Mr. Lefevre, the theatre has to be shut down. The shenanigans have to stop before the public finds out!"  
"Keep your voice down Gaston!" Mr. Lefevre spit through his teeth. "The shenanigans are out of my hands."  
"We open tonight – an hour! A children's play Mr. Lefevre, we don't need the –"  
"Don't speak his name." Mr. Lefevre muttered. Gustave chuckled silently to himself at the fear he had planted in the theatre owners minds.  
"Well, we don't need him tonight and we shan't be bothered by his presence. Don't let what happened before happen again." And of course, Gustave knew Gaston was speaking of the greatest tragedy that struck the Paris upper class. The very tragedy his father had caused. Carefully placing his ivory mask over the right side of his face, Gustave freshened up and prepared to make himself known to the schools and children of Paris tonight. Would he frighten them or tease them? Perhaps an optical illusion tonight? The ideas rushed into his head and he began to dream of the possibilities that could take place. All of Paris would know of Gustave – then again, would word reach Raoul? Did he know of the path Gustave was taking? At his age, Gustave didn't want him to know of the life he was living. The Vicomte de Chagny was not so old, but old enough that he was beginning to lose his thick golden hair and charm. He was still very rich and very popular though, it made Gustave sad to know the man he'd assumed to be his father since birth was still out there, hoping Gustave would return. But why did Raoul deserve his sympathy? He had only known love and praise since birth, never feeling the true sting of rejection and insanity throughout his lifetime. Gustave shut his eyes and breathed in heavily, allowing himself to finally get it together and begin to take in what his father had left behind.

Beside the organ, a Viking ship shaped bed with dusty red velvet covers lay behind a half circle of ripped satin curtains. Piles and piles of sheet music lay on a mahogany desk close to the organ. Closer to the lake that guarded this haven laid clay figurines and an array of deteriorating wigs and chipped masks, similar to the one that Gustave was wearing.  
"Oh father," Gustave wept. Before he could realize his cover might be blown, he slammed into the organ and in one swift motion dust blew out from the tops and the sound engulfed the entire opera house.  
"Who's there!?" A young, trembling voice asked. Gustave sensed fear and so, he used it to his advantage.  
Throwing his voice, he murmured, "The theatre ghost."  
"You don't scare me," the voice muttered. "You can't be real."  
"Perhaps not then." Gustave snickered, wondering who this new voice was. There weren't any new voices since he began to rebuild the Opera House, only Mr. Lefevre and Gaston. He didn't want to scare this one away just yet.  
The voice began to weep and Gustave felt an ache inside his chest, "Why must you cry?" He began, stopping himself. He didn't need to ruin the memory of his father and his new found reputation by showing sensitivity to some child.  
"Go away." It cried.  
"I can't, this is my home." Gustave could feel the voice tremble at the intimidation in his voice.  
"Why do you live here? I know you aren't a ghost." She continued. Gustave felt his rage take over as he unleashed a harmless gas to seep up to the floors were the voice stood. As it screamed he heard it apologize. "I've made a mistake. I will leave."  
"Not before you tell me your name. You know I live here, and so, you must leave me with at least your name." Gustave asked, keeping his voice low so his the thetre owners would not find him. It breathed in deeply and Gustave could feel its cold hands tremble once more, "Eloise." It whispered before Gustave heard footsteps run in the opposite direction.

_Eloise_. He hadn't spoken to a girl in what seemed like years. In fact, he hadn't spoken to anyone since his mother died; he had only spoken to his father. He became out casted by even Raoul and all the children at school. He had dropped out of university three years ago when his father died. Had Eloise really wanted to speak to him? Or was it out of fear?  
"We go on in half an hour!" Mr. Lefevre shouted, chewing his fingernails.  
"Monsieur, we had an incident ten minutes ago." Gaston cried to Mr. Lefevre, "He's in this theatre and he will do something terrible tonight."  
"Gaston, you're hallucinating. We have a full house! Lighten up! We've made back any money he's cost us. He built the Opera house back again himself! If you ask me, he's just a man. The _theatre ghost _barely exists."  
Gustave felt his soul shake from anger. How dare they _mock_ him? How dare they think he didn't even exist in this Opera house?  
"Monsieur, Eloise Dian filed a report. There is somebody in this Opera house whether you believe it or not. What if he decides to attack tonight?" Gaston muttered.  
"Oh no doubt of it!" Mr. Lefevre replied sarcastically, "Besides, she's one of Mademoiselle Jo's students – nothing less than an anxious teenager in search of some French culture. This opera is probably the most exciting thing to happen to any of those students since the beginning of the year."  
"But Monsieur-"  
"Gaston, I'm finished here." Mr. Lefevre sighed, walking away.  
Gustave clenched his fists and looked above, "They'll see what I'm capable of tonight."

Once night fell and the play had begun, Gustave stood silently in box five, alone, mimicking that of what his father would once do. He realized that terrifying hundreds of children in the audience wouldn't do much but get him killed. Then again, he also realized that Mr. Lefevre and Gaston only assumed he was some imposter and the theatre ghost "barely existed". Mostly though, Gaston noticed mademoiselle Eloise Dian in the audience. Immediately her voice stood out to him, her dark curly hair and olive skin, her large green eyes, everything stood out to him, as if he had known her forever. She believed in him. She was his only hope for planting a seed of fear in every mind in the Opera house. Before the play ended, Gustave had disappeared from box five and back into his home. He threw his voice into the main stage and began to laugh maniacally as soon as each and every body in the theatre froze with even the smallest amount of fear.  
"Eloise Dian shall return here tomorrow night, or a disaster _beyond_ your imagination shall take place." When Gustave could hear Eloise scream, he laughed once more and sent the gas back into the halls of the Opera house. Eloise nearly tripped down the stairs running out of the theatre with Brigitte at her heels.  
"What does he want from me!?" She screamed as soon as she entered the windy streets. Her silk bow flew out of her hair and onto a glimmering lamp post nearby.  
"He's not real Eloise. It was part of the show I bet."  
"No, Brigitte I've spoken to him before. He knows my name, who else would know my name?" She could feel the tears returning to her eyes again and she began breathing in and out heavily to keep them again.  
"Eloise, I beg of you – don't do this to yourself." Brigitte shook her head, "Your mother had been to this theatre before, hadn't she? The owners probably knew your family name. You're a special guest!"  
"You said so yourself there was an Opera ghost – isn't this the excitement you wanted?"  
"Eloise, this is madness." With those words, Eloise shut her mouth and let her imagination take over. Could he return tonight? Could he throw his voice into her room? Could he kidnap her?  
"Come, Mademoiselle has called the carriages." Brigitte dragged Eloise out and left her thinking darkly about her encounter with the theatre ghost.  
"Wait!" She called as she mounted the carriage, "My bow's gone - mother gave it to me!" As the horses began to move Eloise looked frantically for the blue bow that held her hair together earlier.  
"Come back tomorrow, I have your bow." A voice called, and just as Eloise had feared, it belonged to Gustave.


	3. The Deal

**Chapter Three**  
**The Deal**

Gaston had been visited by his first dream in what seemed like years that night. The potential Eloise had brought him to avenge the name of his father left thousands of ideas dancing in his head. He no longer cared for the words of Mr. Lefevre and Gaston, only Eloise. For the first time in years, Gustave had been visited by a good dream, not one of his regular nightmares. Nightmares that would leave him gasping for air, second guessing the death of his father, and fearing that sooner or later, Raoul would find him – questioning why he had become this way.

He found the organ once more and began to play what was left of his father's beautiful music, hoping that Eloise would hear it and follow the melody. Her bow lay neatly folded on his desk, beside one of his fathers cracked masks. Was this how his father met his mother? Did he too wish to scare the audience and the owners of the Opera House? This wasn't Gustave's life anymore – it was Erik's. One of Gustave's nightmares had been precisely of that, living the life of a dead man at the age of twenty one. Did he want that? Did he want to precisely the legacy that his father left behind? Or did he want to go back to Raoul?  
He shook the thought clear from his head again and began to angrily play the organ. The thoughts that haunted him didn't dare come back once he began to play scores from previous Opera's, especially Don Juan – the last opera to ever grace the theatre before it had been rebuilt. Every song he would play, he sent a prayer out for his mother and father, hoping they had maybe met in heaven, although he prayed even harder that Erik had made it there.

"Ghost?" He heard tenderly for above. Gustave smiled to himself, happy to another voice other than the owners.  
"You have returned," said Gustave with a sigh of relief.  
"I have come for my ribbon monsieur." Eloise interrupted, twiddling her thumbs and thinking anxiously about how he may give it to her. Could he pass through floors?  
"You may have your ribbon Eloise."  
"What's your name?" She exclaimed suddenly, "You must have a name…" She sounded much like she was trying to reassure herself.  
"I cannot let you know such things so easily."  
"Monsieur, I cannot return. I beg of you, send my ribbon and I shall be off."  
_Forever?_ Gustave thought grimly. The one voice that had brightened his very thoughts the previous night would be gone for good. Just as the opera house would've been. Just as his parents were. He sent the gas up once more and with it her ribbon, letting it slip through his fingers once more. He could feel the happiness radiate off of Eloise as she gripped her bow tightly.  
"Merci beaucoup!"  
"You are not French, are you?"  
"No, I am not. It was quite obvious, wasn't it?" Eloise let herself chuckle but began to back away from where Gustave's voice appeared.  
"Mademoiselle Jo teaches you, does she not?"  
"Yes, she does. Monsieur, I really must go –"  
"Perhaps I should teach you." Gustave spit out, holding back his tongue. What would she tell the others and her teacher?  
"You can speak French as well?"  
"Oui mademoiselle."  
"But you are a ghost –" Eloise stopped herself. "I must be going, father will be waiting for me within months and I cannot trust something that doesn't exist." She whispered coldly, frightened of what consequences her words would bring her.  
"Where is your father, Eloise?"  
"I mustn't talk to somebody I barely know."  
"Should I tell the others of your delusional talk then? The nightmares you have?" Gustave began to recall what he had overheard Eloise talking to Brigitte about. He already knew Eloise had moved here during the summer in hopes of learning French so she could be accepted into a university in Quebec, Canada. Gustave had heard Eloise nervously muttering words to herself in the hallways above his lair, words regarding regrets she held with her parents and worries of losing more people in her life. He pitied her for making herself feel worse, although he was doing the same.  
"How – how do you know? You really are a –"  
"Ghost?" Gustave finished, "Stay with me. I will have you back to your father in less than three months. I shan't bother you more after that."  
"What if I choose not?" Eloise asked, Gustave could feel the warmth in her body drop down to an icy temperature.  
"I built the theatre – and I know the man who owns it." Gustave shook angrily for a moment in thought of Raoul. "I warned of a disaster beyond your imagination occurring – make your choice."  
"I will return tomorrow then." Eloise sighed after a moment of hesitation. "You must tell me your name then. I deserve to leave with at least that."  
Gustave smiled at the memories she had brought back of the night before. She was not so different than him, was she? A young women as he was man, separated from her parents in France, in search of a true friend. Perhaps he could be that.  
"Gustave." He replied, feeling the warmth in his own voice return. He hadn't spoken his own name in years…  
"I shall see you tomorrow then, Gustave." Before Gustave could bid her farewell, she had run off, slamming the door veraciously and leaving Gustave completely alone.

Maybe he was more like his father than he had hoped to be. Was this girl now _his_ prisoner? Was she to be kept from the world above just to suit his liking? Eloise wasn't going to play Gustave's Christine, besides, he couldn't have any hope of her falling in love with a monster like him. His mother was different, and even Erik wasn't so lucky to have her return to him in time. Not before she died anyways. Angry at his thoughts, Gustave flung a candelabra at the lake and watched it sizzle down into the murky waters below. He took another and set his father's curtains on fire, watching the broken ashes hit the ground as he thought about what he had done and what he was continuing to do to himself. Falling to the floor, surrounded by smoke, Gustave wept silently, hoping that Eloise would return sooner, distracting him from his own mind.


	4. A Dark Past

**Chapter Four**  
**A Dark Past**

"You've spoken to the Phantom of the Opera?" Brigitte sighed, her jaw slightly hanging open. Eloise nodded as she ran up the final flight of stairs to her dormitory.  
"You have got to be joking?" Brigitte said after she caught her breath.  
"He calls himself the _theatre _ghost and I don't understand why you don't believe me!"  
"I don't believe you because I know how smart you are. Smart ladies don't do dumb things."  
"_Dumb things?_" Eloise repeated quietly. She stopped herself before she made Brigitte believe she was any stupider.  
"I have to visit my brother this afternoon in the village," Brigitte began, "would you like to come? I think it would be good for you."  
"I'm not sure…"  
"Oh come on Eloise. Time is better spent with friends than with _ghosts_." Brigitte laughed. Eloise felt a pain in her soul – if only Gustave could show himself to the opera goers - that would show her…  
"How far is it from the academy?"  
"It's near the Opera house, fifteen minutes I think."

Eloise did enjoy going to Brigitte's brother's house. Etienne was tall and handsome and Brigitte used to think he fancied Eloise. She remembered walking to the academy with Etienne at her side, admiring his thick blonde hair and stunning blue eyes, similar to that of his sisters.  
_"So what is it like, Canada?"_  
_"Wonderful." Eloise breathed in the cool autumn air, "It's my home, but between us, I like it here better." Words she regret to this day._  
_"Maybe I could visit you one day." Etienne offered, smiling down at Eloise. After receiving a few nods of encouragement from Brigitte, Eloise smiled and nodded._  
_"Perhaps you should_." Thinking of that thought now, he couldn't. Eloise couldn't bare falling in love with anybody and having to keep the secret of the theatre ghost from them. No, telling Etienne would only anger Gustave and she didn't want a disaster occurring.

"No, I can't come. I need to study on pronunciations. Remember?" Eloise smiled falsely hoping Brigitte would buy it.  
"You should definitely stay then. I'll send him your best regards?"  
"That would be lovely, thank you." Once the door shut behind Brigitte, Eloise tightened her laces and filled her satchel to the brim with her textbooks and loose sheets, making them stick out as she shut it. Gustave would be waiting for her, and she didn't want to upset him. His voice was haunting though - literally. Eloise had never spoken with such a voice; then again, the voice belonged to a ghost... Oh how she wished the voice could have been from a real person, that way they wouldn't have such power over the opera house. Visiting that dreaded place only helped fill the empty hole her mother had left in Eloise's heart after the divorce.

Eloise could feel the stories from her mother's childhood dancing in the halls, and the stage, and the seats that once graced the figures that were featured in her mother's stories. How she wished she could've met La Carlotta and Christine Daae, a figure from an unfinished story her mother had begun. Christine Daae was a few years older than Geneva and had appeared very regularly as one of the ballet girls. Geneva had gotten to explain Christine's involvement with The Phantom of the Opera, but had never finished. Christine had died a few years back, only worsening Eloise's nightmares. Had this very ghost killed her off too?

The streets were only beginning to darken and were still lined with people and carriages, their shadows dancing on the cobblestone streets. From the distance, Eloise had spot Brigitte's silver bow in her golden hair. Praying Brigitte wouldn't spot her; Eloise tightened her shawl and flung on the hood. After a few steps, Eloise realized that Brigitte was already with her brother. Etienne's blue eyes seemed to shine in the darkness and Eloise began to long for the times they'd shared earlier on. It seemed like a crime that they could not be together because of this ghost.

Sneaking in with the regular theatre crowd, Eloise found herself in the midst of the bustling crowd, searching frantically for where to find this voice once more. From the sight of a woman fainting at the thick fog wrapping around her shaking ankles, Eloise knew it was the Gustave's doing.  
"I've come again ghost!" Eloise breathed as she entered the vacant hallway, shutting the door quickly behind her.  
"Ah, what a pleasure it is. You must care very much about this theatres fate."  
"My mother used to attend. I would do anything to keep it in tact." Eloise sighed, acknowledging the ghosts words.  
"Your mother?" Gustave let his voice become more vulnerable than he had hoped.  
"Yes monsieur. She was a regular guest with her parents during the time of La Carlotta."  
Gustave let out a gasp as he eyed his father's broken models of the cast from the same time period. A plump woman lay with her arms broken by her side – "Carlotta…" He murmured. Could this girl know something about his mother's past with his father?  
"You must have known her then," Eloise continued, "as you are the ghost that's been haunting the theatre – am I correct?"  
"Yes," Gustave answered quickly, hoping that this girl would never find who he truly was. If Eloise was to ever find out who Gustave was, she would have nothing but hatred for the pathetic soul who made a living off of scaring others.  
"Do you recall what happened to –" Eloise stopped talking. She feared that if she mentioned Christine's name, the ghost would kill her too. "Could you help me now, monsieur? My father will be anxious for my return. It would be best if I learned quickly."  
"As you wish Eloise." Gustave replied confidently, finally content with having Eloise to himself, "I just ask one thing of you."  
"Anything." Eloise replied once more.  
"Tell me of the stories your mother once told you."  
"I cannot monsieur." Eloise replied quickly, holding the same fear that somehow, this ghost would use these stories against her. What if he went after her mother?  
"Then I cannot help you." Gustave spit through his teeth.  
Eloise felt her heart race, "No! Ghost, I promise I will."  
"Good," Gustave sighed and sat cross legged on the cold floor beneath him, "now I shall keep my promise to you. I hear pronunciation is your biggest trouble?"  
Eloise felt both relieved that he knew and terrified at how he found out. Was he watching over Brigitte and her? Never the less, they began to review simple structures in words and Eloise began to repeat them over and over again until they sounded as Gustave had told her.

She began to frequently dream of his voice, and even stranger, a face to match it. What kind of person was this ghost before he died? Was he old? Was he even dead? Every time Eloise visit this ghost she would grace him with another story from her mother's past, and the interest the ghost displayed in these tales was remarkable. Eloise imagined him sitting and eagerly awaiting another story day by day, it seemed that way every time they spoke.

"I don't seem to recall the rest..." Eloise finished.  
"I've made a few cameos in your stories then, haven't I?" Gustave grimaced at another set of memories from his father.  
"More than a few... there's not many more stories monsieur. I apologize."  
"Tell me what there is."  
"I cannot." Eloise said once more, upsetting Gustave. He felt closer to unlocking the secret of his mother and fathers past.  
"Christine Daae." Gustave murmured quietly.  
"What did you say?"  
"You must have something about her. She - she was the greatest soprano that ever graced this Opera house!"  
"I understand, but, my mother did not say much about her but that. She was very talented, very young. I think even younger than me..." Gustave smiled and took a deep, calming breath, "Eloise, thank you."  
"You're welcome monsieur. I must go now. I will return tomorrow."  
"Good," Gustave stood up and shook the dust from his coat, "and remember, you mustn't tell anybody of me Eloise. Otherwise -"  
"I know." She replied shaking. Before Gustave could mention anything else, Eloise found herself outside, breathing in the cool air that reminded her of better times. What was this ghost and why did he have such a dark past? Why did he want her company so badly? Letting tears fill her eyes, Eloise breathed in quickly and realized that if she did not tell someone, she would surely go mad.  
"Forgive me, ghost." She whispered as she ran down the streets of Paris.


	5. A Frightful Encounter

**Chapter 5  
A Frightful Encounter**

Eloise didn't know much of the opera house, but she was very aware of the man that played a great part in owning it. A man even his mother had known, Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny. It was a lazy Sunday for the rest of the girls at the academy, but Eloise decided her time was better spent searching for somebody to confide in about this ghost. She recalled what Geneva had once said about them.  
_"Ghosts just want to be at peace, no ghost wants to live forever."  
"I do."  
"But what if you didn't have your family with you Eloise; you wouldn't want to be all alone, would you?"  
Eloise shook her head, "A ghost just needs a friend."_ _Geneva laughed._ Eloise shuddered at remembering what her mother sounded like.

"What are you doing?" Brigitte asked Eloise waltzing into their room.  
"I'm going out to find the Vicomte de Chagny."  
"What on Earth would you want with him?"  
"My mother talked of him regularly, I know he had a lot to do with the theatre…"  
"If this is about that ghost –"  
"No, Brigitte. It's not." Eloise snapped. _  
_"How did the studying go yesterday?"  
"Great." Eloise began to demonstrate, "Je peux parler en Francais maintenant."  
"How did you learn so quickly?"  
"I have a great tutor." Brigitte smiled thinking Eloise had referenced her.  
"I'm not even that great yet… Eloise, are you hiding something?" She asked suddenly. Trying not to make eye contact, Eloise shook her head, for Brigitte would surely find out if she saw the guilt in her eyes.  
"I'm worried about you Eloise."  
"Well don't be," Eloise sighed, "Look, I need to look for the Vicomte. Will you help me?"  
Brigitte hesitated but nodded, "I'll lead you there, but he's not the kindest person Eloise."  
"Why not?" Eloise asked following Brigitte down the winding staircase. Nearly slipping, Brigitte tugged open the door and ran outside into the cold.  
"Follow me." She whispered ominously.  
"What's wrong with you?" Eloise asked for a change, trying to keep up with an anxious Brigitte.  
"My mother fancied the Vicomte for a while, I never really saw it going anywhere and it didn't. But I met him once." Brigitte finally steadied into a normal walking pace. Eloise caught her breath and walked alongside her.  
"What happened?"  
"The Vicomte lost his wife a few years ago, and he found that his child – wasn't his own."  
"What?!" Eloise covered her mouth in fear the ghost was watching over them. She winced at the pain of even thinking of what the ghost would do to her. Terrified, she grabbed Brigitte's arm and yanked her forward a bit, to hurry the journey.  
"I'm not sure how, but Christine Daae was pregnant before she married the Vicomte, Raoul." Brigitte covered her mouth, "Don't call him Raoul, by the way. He was quite famous back in his time, such a gentleman, but now he's just bitter."  
"Christine Daae?" Eloise nearly choked, "S_he_ was married the Vicomte?"  
"Yes, I thought you knew with your daily visits to the Opera house…"  
"No, I didn't." Eloise looked around for any sign of the ghost and continued, "My mother used to tell me of how she used to speak to the phantom. I don't think it's true but –"  
"She did. My mother was a ballet girl, and before she met my father, she recalled having spoken to Christine of something supernatural watching over her."  
"You mean an angel?"  
"Yes. There are no angels in that opera house though, too much tragedy for something good to be watching over that theatre…"  
_Too much tragedy, _Eloise thought briefly. No good could come from her daily visits then…  
"There." Brigitte pointed across the street to a small, tight cluster of older businesses and shops with garrets above them. "You'll be able to see him in the winery almost every day. Try to find him, he looks just as he used to." Eloise raised an eyebrow and Brigitte laughed. "He aged well." Eloise nodded and headed off.

There weren't many people on the block, adding a sense of urgency to Eloise's visit. Would the Vicomte be as bitter as Eloise thought? Would he barely give a second thought to her visit? In the midst of these thoughts, Eloise caught sight of a tall, handsome man with sullen eyes and thick blonde hair, only a few gray streaks in between. He wore a tan shirt underneath a corduroy vest.  
"Vicomte, what brings you here today?"  
"Have you caught sight of him?"  
"Gustave?" Raoul nodded but the man shook his head sadly, "No…"  
_Gustave?_ What did Raoul know of a Gustave? Did this ghost haunt the town too? A shudder of fear ran up Eloise's spine.  
"Raoul, if you ask me, it's been eleven years since Christine died… it's time to move on."  
"I wouldn't have to if that idiot didn't take her from me. Take _him_ from me. He was mine…"  
"There's no use in this Raoul. I say it because I care, you're growing old from the worry."  
"I wish I knew what had happened to him, because he haunts the opera no longer."  
"Yes he does." Eloise spoke gently, walking up slowly to the Vicomte, who was leaning lifelessly over the counter.  
"Excuse me?"  
"The Phantom of the Opera – he's the ghost that haunts the theatre now, is he not?"  
"And who are you?" Raoul began. He scratched his head, searching for a memory of who this child was.  
"My name is Eloise Dian. I study at the St. Marie academy yonder, but something terrible has happened."  
"Terrible?" Raoul raised an eyebrow.  
Eloise nodded fearfully, "I've been visited by this ghost. He seems troubled and I heard," she stopped herself.  
"What?"  
"Nothing."  
Raoul chuckled rudely, "That I knew of this ghost."  
Eloise nodded, "Monsieur, I apologize if I offended you."  
Raoul smiled falsely and kicked a broken bottle nearby viciously. Eloise fell to the floor in fear raised her hands above her head.  
"What do you know of this ghost? Because he isn't a joke to me – do you understand?"  
"I understand…" Eloise murmured. "I shouldn't have come." Before Raoul could catch this girl, Eloise began to run for her life, constantly checking to see if Raoul was close behind her. She ran to the academy, only to find that the doors had been locked.  
"Brigitte!" She screamed into the night, only to find no answer. After several minutes, Brigitte opened the window to their room.  
"What are you doing down there!?"  
"I've been locked out!"  
"Madame won't let me out! It's past curfew!"  
"Brigitte, I'm stuck! Where am I to go?"  
"Go to my brother's home! He will keep you safe there!"  
_How could I ever go there_, Eloise thought, _Gustave would have me killed._  
"Go! I hear Madame coming!" With that, the window shut, leaving Eloise now completely alone in the streets of Paris.  
"ELOISE!" Raoul called out into the night. Tightening her black cloak, Eloise began to search for the voice. "Where are you?!" He called out again.  
"Go away!" She screamed. Instead of hearing his voice now, she only heard his footsteps. Knowing she couldn't make it to Etienne's house on time, she began to head across the street to the Opera house. Frightened beyond belief, Eloise threw her body against the door and continued to knock and knock.  
"GHOST!" She screamed frantically knocking. Before she could raise her voice once more, she felt the floor fall beneath her feet and she was beginning to fall and fall. _Oh God,_ Eloise thought, _this is the end._  
"Eloise!" Gustave cried as she fell into the waters that guarded his lair.  
"I can't swim!" She shout, feeling the water suck her down. A large cage was beginning to sink lower and lower, blocking any source for air. Eloise was Gustave's only hope for finding out his parents past, he couldn't let her die infront of him.  
"Here goes nothing," Gustave muttered as he dived into the murky waters below, searching for Eloise and evidently, losing his mask.


	6. The Phantom's Lair

**Chapter 6  
The Phantoms Lair**

The last time Gustave had swum was when he had set up these very booby traps in the first place. The water felt unfamiliar to him; even though it surrounded the place he called home. He could see Eloise, lifeless now, sinking slowly to the bottom, her hand pressed against the metal ever so slightly. He took a deep breath and held his nose, feeling some burnt skin at the side. Looking between his mask and the girl, Gustave dove deeper into the waters and began to crank a lever. He could feel his strength come back as he witnessed Eloise let go of her last air bubbles. Finally, the lever released and the cage began to lift. Gustave swam to Eloise, grabbed her by the waist and hauled her up, throwing her onto the cold stone that made an entrance to his lair. Taking a deep, gasping breath, Gustave crawled up beside her and began to shake her.  
"Come on, wake up!" He begged, frantically searching for his mask at the same time. Eloise was motionless. "WAKE UP!" Gustave shouted after giving up the search for his mask, if his father could do it, so could he. Gustave pressed his ear against her chest to feel a breath and suddenly water spit out of Eloise's mouth followed by a deep breath. Gustave covered his face and backed away into the shadows; he couldn't risk Eloise knowing he wasn't a ghost, much less, a boy not too far from her own age.  
"W- Where am I?" She sputtered, vomiting out her last bit of water. Gustave smiled at the sight of the colour coming back into Eloise's cheeks.  
"This is my home." Gustave declared proudly.  
"Ghost?" Eloise whispered, standing on her feet but stumbling slightly. "Where are you?" She looked at her clothes, drenched in water and began to shiver.  
"I- I cannot say." Gustave stuttered, afraid of what may happen next.  
"H-help me, monsieur. I'm freezing… are we underground?"  
Gustave couldn't risk Eloise getting hypothermia and so, he began to recall what his father once told him of a boat.  
"Eloise, I need you to get into the boat you see nearby. I will take you to my lair."

Eloise couldn't see any lair or home mentioned, she just saw a large cage, much like the one that nearly killed her, guarding what seemed like a cave. She searched for the boat, and fond a gondola shaped one near some rocks to her right. She ran in and found a man standing in the front with the paddle. Shivering to the point where she could hear her teeth shatter, Eloise realized it may not be best to ask who this man was. He was tall and well built, with thick brown hair falling slightly into his face. Was this Gustave? She did not expect someone so handsome to be her ghost – but was it even a ghost? Eloise found her assumptions to be true, this _thing_ was not a ghost or phantom, this _thing _was a young man. Eloise could feel anger boiling inside of her, how dare he trick her into thinking he was the Phantom of the Opera? Finally, the blackness moved to reveal candles and curtains and a giant organ and desk on levelled rocks. Eloise noticed that the man on the boat with her was covering his face. Maybe she was wrong… Confused beyond belief, Eloise took the man's hand as he helped her off the boat and stepped calmly onto the rocks, stumbling and falling to her knees. She looked up at the man, who was still covering his face and looking down at her with his blue eyes.  
"Gustave…" She muttered, "What is this? Why am I here?"  
"Don't panic." Gustave replied softly.  
"You are no Phantom of the Opera – are you?"  
"No, Eloise I am not."  
"How DARE you trick me? What have I EVER done to you?"  
"Don't speak to me like that!" Gustave grabbed her hand as she raised it and helped her up. "I don't mean to hurt you, Eloise. I only meant to help."  
"Why _me?_ There are hundreds of girls at the academy but you choose me?" Eloise felt tears rush to her eyes as she turned away. "Nobody shows an interest in me. I don't have any friends. My mother left and caused my father to divorce her." Eloise wiped her tears and pushed Gustave away. "The one person that has ever shown interest in me is a Phantom of the Opera impersonator." Eloise sunk to her knees and again began to cry. Gustave felt his heart beat faster – he didn't know his actions could make someone feel like he did himself.  
"Why must you cry?" He began, like he had said a few weeks earlier. Eloise looked up and him and touched the hand that covered his face.  
"Why do you do that?" She asked.  
"That is none of your business."  
"Why n-not?" Eloise shivered again. Gustave shook his head and grabbed a shawl off his desk; handing it to Eloise and watching her cheeks turn bright red. "Thank you." She sighed in warmth.  
"You cannot leave now, do you understand?" Gustave whispered quietly. He could feel his madness coming back. "You've seen my lair, you've seen my home, you've ridden my boat – you can NEVER go back! Do you understand!"  
"But my father-" Eloise began.  
"You can leave when he comes looking for you!"  
"Well that won't be very soon _ghost._" Eloise spit. "You think anybody cares if I'm gone!?" She sighed and began to pace his lair, "My mother _left me_, do you understand? I was mocked, bullied, out casted by everyone, and you mean to tell me that I must stay here till someone comes looking for me?" She laughed, "Don't get your hopes up. I might as well live here Gustave, because no one will care if I'm gone."  
Gustave stood in awe, watching Eloise's rage unfold before him. She sat down on the curb of his bed and wiped her tears. She couldn't even believe what had left her mouth. She barely spoke out of line on a regular basis – what made Gustave so special?  
"I will stay." Eloise muttered, "But only until someone comes to look for me."  
"Good." Gustave sighed, second guessing whether this was the right thing to do. He took his hand off this face and looked to the floor. Eloise gasped and Gustave thoughtlessly looked in her direction.  
"Your –" She stopped herself. "That's why you live underground, isn't it?"  
"Yes."  
"I don't mind it – really… can you tell me what happened?" Eloise asked, moving closer to Gustave, who couldn't believe how kind Eloise was being to his deformity.  
"Alright," Gustave began, maybe Eloise could be the person to accept him for his flaw.


	7. Gustave's Story

**Chapter 7  
Gustave's Story**

"My father died three years ago, when I was eighteen when we were visiting France from New York. He had been quite a legend at the Opera house so – I accidentally burnt my face one day and it looked like his, um, deformity ... I didn't think people would be so cruel so I hid away in the place my father and mother had held such a reputation – this theatre. I rebuilt it from what my father taught me and I found my father's lair. I was sick and tired of people calling him a rumour and legend. He wasn't. The Phantom of the Opera existed and I wanted to make sure people never forgot. Then, I found you. You believed, and you knew about my father's past with my mother. I needed help." Gustave admit, trying hard not to cry. "I can feel myself losing my sanity every day."  
Eloise sniffled and began to process all the information she'd just received. She reached out and touched Gustave's face, "You're really not that bad." She smiled, "I thought you were quite handsome, actually."  
"What?"  
Eloise nodded, "I don't care much for the outside, and it's what's inside that makes a difference to me. Avenging your father after his death doesn't make you a bad person, but it does mean you need help." Before Gustave could argue Eloise continued, "You are _not_ crazy, but you will be if you continue down here alone. That's why I'm staying."  
"Forever?"  
"As long as it takes." Eloise mentioned, "I feel what you feel." Eloise sighed, "I've never really told that to anybody…"  
"Oh," Gustave looked at Eloise and smiled, "thank you."  
"Why?"  
"I thought I was beginning to go mad like my father once had."  
Eloise chuckled, "Well you're not. I'm sure he wasn't as bad as everyone thought he was anyways."  
"He wasn't." Gustave added quickly, "He owned Phantasma, was an architect, composer and had this magical side of him that, Raoul never had."  
"Raoul?"  
"My step-father." Gustave added. Eloise felt the knot in her throat tighten – what had she done? She had walked up to the Vicomte de Chagny and told him that the very man that ruined his marriage was still alive in this very Opera house. There was no ghost though, just a lonely _boy._ Eloise felt herself shiver again, she could never let Gustave know – he would hate her.  
"Are you cold?"  
"No, I'm fine." Eloise nodded reassuringly. Whatever happened, Eloise prayed that Raoul never filed a report to the owners, because if he did, Gustave would surely meet his doom.


	8. Like Mother Like Daughter

**Chapter 8  
Like Mother Like Daughter**

Raoul sat impatiently at his desk at home, finishing his cup of red wine and beginning to feel drowsy. He wasn't drunk, yet, but he felt like he needed to be. It was an odd sort of yearning, but Raoul _needed _wine and beer. Deep inside of him, he knew it was because it helped him forget the pain he'd experienced in the past few years, but on the exterior, he just came across as a drunk. Once a hardworking, handsome man with plenty of wealth, now an aging drunk with no family. Raoul looked out the window to the snow falling slowly, calmly down. It was the beginning of the winter months. Just a week ago, he recalled a strange girl calling him out on the events of a theatre ghost, but he had done nothing about it. Perhaps it was a prank put on by the notorious school girls at the St. Marie academy. Or perhaps by some of the local teenagers. Raoul was quite impressionable, and no doubt at his age, a perfect target for these shenanigans.

A knock on the door caught his attention before he could fall asleep. He swung open the door and found a tall, slender girl with waist length blonde hair standing there impatiently.  
"Brigitte?" He asked looking behind her for any sign of her mother. No sign of Meg Giry anywhere. Brigitte had her eyes, and Raoul was soon transported back to when he saw Christine and Meg get along. Back to when Meg was happy and had known she was loved. Back before Phantasma had opened. Back before she had killed Christine… But of course, Brigitte could never know of what her mother did. _Then again_, Raoul thought, _why on Earth was she here?_  
"I'm looking for Eloise Dian. She came to see you?"  
"Ms. Dian?" Raoul asked, marvelling at these strange occurrences with Ms. Dian recently. "Yes, but she ran off before I could catch her."  
"That's the thing. I thought she was at my brother's house but she's not."  
"Etienne? Why on Earth would she be there?"  
"I told her to go! I thought maybe she went back to you and I can't find her anywhere…"  
"I'm sorry Brigitte but she isn't here." He lit up a cigarette and leaned against the door way, prepared to close it. Brigitte marched in before he had the chance.  
"You don't understand – she _disappeared_. She isn't at the academy, she isn't at Etienne's house, she isn't at the Opera –"  
"The Opera?" Raoul finished his cigarette and fanned away the smoke, making Brigitte hold her nose to block the smell. "The Opera doesn't allow daily visitors unless they have tickets. She couldn't be there…" Raoul was beginning to remember what Eloise had said about a ghost. "Erik…" he muttered under his breath.  
"Monsieur, please. You have to help me you were the last person who saw her."  
"And why is this such an emergency!?" Raoul added angrily.  
"She is a seventeen year old _girl._ Younger than I!" Brigitte cried, "She's been gone for a week! I'm quite busy so I thought it was only natural I shouldn't see her but her bed hasn't been slept in for a _week_. The streets of Paris are a dangerous place, monsieur." Brigitte began to shake. "Please,"  
"Well I'm sorry mademoiselle, but I can no longer help you. It seems you better consult your teacher about this…" Raoul then proceeded to shut the door. Furious, Brigitte knocked on the door until Raoul came back.  
"I will call the police if you do not help me. If you can't remember, my mother was your friend. You are one of the only people I know in this _country _and I need your help. At least drive me back to the academy." Before Raoul could ask why he realized what a snow storm had begun outside, frosting the windows heavily. "Fine."

Refusing to make eye contact with the Vicomte, Eloise sat in the car and watched as Raoul started it up and began to drive down the road to the academy. Raoul was never really open about the relationship he had with her mother, and even though Meg fancied him, she never really _told_ him, terrified that the ghost of Christine would come after her. Meg had cried so many tears over Christine's death, but of course, never in front of Brigitte or Etienne. When Philippe, Meg's husband, (whom she met at Phantasma a week after the incident with Christine) died, Meg began to slowly sink into darkness. She didn't talk as much with Brigitte or Etienne and began to reject her own mother, who was still out there waiting to meet her grown grandchildren. Brigitte knew about Madame Giry, she just never really _met _her grandmother, something she yearned for in her heart.

Raoul pulled up into the driveway and watched as Brigitte ran straight into Mademoiselle Jo.  
"Brigitte, good heavens, watch where you're going."  
"I'm sorry Madame. I was just visiting –" Brigitte stopped herself, "family." She continued.  
"Really?"  
Brigitte nodded, "Now if you excuse me I have to go inside Madame. It's very cold."  
Once Madame moved aside, Brigitte noticed she began to speak with another woman who had just exited her car.  
"Emilia, thank goodness you're here." Mademoiselle Jo breathed. Brigitte quickly recognized this woman to be the headmistress.  
"What seems to be the problem?"  
"Eloise Dian, a student here has gone missing for a week." Mademoiselle whispered as the headmistress covered her mouth.  
"What do you mean?"  
"She disappeared one night and nobody can find her. She was our top student."  
_Top student?_ Brigitte thought, _I was the top student._ She watched as Raoul pulled away from the drive way. How did Eloise get so good that she became St. Marie's top student? Jealous beyond belief, Brigitte marched upstairs and thought of a plan to rid Eloise of this title. She didn't deserve any recognition, it was _all _that stupid ghost's doing and she was going to track down that ghost, starting with another visit to the Vicomte de Chagny's home tomorrow. If anyone could hunt down the man that haunts the theatre, it would be its previous owner.


	9. The Point of No Return

**Chapter 9  
The Point of No Return**

"I did it!" Eloise screamed, throwing her hands up in joy. "I learned to play the organ!"  
"You're getting more talented day by day..." Gustave sighed looking at Eloise. How could anybody have hated her? Then again, why did so many people hate Gustave? Things he would never understand…  
"Thank you for teaching me." She smiled, standing up and shaking the dust off her hands and letting it fall to the rocks below. "You're father must have been very talented." Eloise mentioned, hiding the shame in her voice. She never told Gustave, but she had woken multiple times in the middle of the night to make sure Gustave was safe. She had blood and scrapes on her knees from kneeling down constantly to pray for him, his father, and his mother, and that whatever may happen – Raoul would not ruin the happiness Gustave had finally found.

Eloise would also never tell Gustave how much she admired him. Besides being unbelievably handsome, even with his burn, Gustave was smart and very talented, not to mention kind too. Eloise wondered what the Phantom of the Opera was truly like, for without him, Gustave wouldn't have been raised so perfectly.  
"There is an Opera tonight. I would love for you to watch it with me." Gustave mentioned suddenly, smiling.  
"From box five?" Eloise smiled, remembering a key trait of the Phantom her mother had mentioned.  
"Precisely." Gustave laughed. He too, hadn't been this happy since his days at Phantasma with his father. Eloise had brought light back into his life and he couldn't bear to think one day, she would be leaving. Although it seemed like she couldn't bear that thought either, Gustave had noticed how unhealthy Eloise was beginning to look. Her once shining eyes now had a dark shadow cast under them, her body had begun to develop a slouch, her knees were covered in dirt and scabs, and her hair now resembled a bush, tousled and tangled. Eloise needed her family, and whether or not anybody came looking for her, it was Gustave who had to set her free.

"Gustave?" Eloise asked suddenly, stumbling over a few rocks. Gustave caught her hand and helped her take a seat.  
"Yes?"  
"Who wrote this?" She asked, grabbing the piece she recently played off the organ and handing it to Gustave.  
"My father…" Gustave replied solemnly. He remembered his father speaking of Don Juan very fondly. He had made sure Christine played the lead so that he could sing alongside her, just as they had when he kept her captive. "Can you sing?"  
"Me?" Eloise asked, stifling a laugh. "I can't even speak properly sometimes…"  
"Have you ever tried?"  
"Not really," Eloise looked at Gustave with a new found confidence and smiled, "maybe I should though."  
"Here, try this." Gustave handed Eloise a piece of sheet music. Some words were burnt off, but the rest of it was legible.  
"The Point of No Return?" Eloise whispered to herself, wondering who the Phantom had previously sung this with. After breathing in deeply, Gustave began to sing with Eloise, allowing his father's sweet music to fill the air. Eloise was not a soprano, but she had a beautiful voice. Gustave smiled just being able to listen to her sing for the first time and of course because she did it so well. Gustave himself had a wonderful voice, not shocking as his parents were both musically talented, but something about Eloise's voice made him see her in a different light. Although she looked quite frail at the moment, she never sounded stronger.

Once the song finished, Eloise smiled and embraced Gustave, making _him_ turn a bright red for once.  
"Thank you!" She exclaimed, "The music was beautiful…"  
"As were you," Gustave replied. Had he really said that? Before Eloise could respond, she locked eyes with Gustave, smiling.  
"Gustave, I need to tell you something…" Eloise began, holding his hand in hers. Was she really about to tell him how she felt? _What if he banishes me?_ She thought, feeling her breath shorten.  
"What is it?" Gustave asked anxiously hoping that she cared for him too. _What if she wants to leave?_ He thought, feeling a knot harden in his throat.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps separated the two as Gustave looked above, telling Eloise to remain absolutely quiet.  
"I swear, she's here!" Brigitte screamed at Mr. Lefevre.  
"Vicomte?" Mr. Lefevre asked for some reassurance. Surely he couldn't take the word of a school girl that a ghost had kidnapped a young lady?  
"I agree." Raoul responded coldly, his voice like acid. "I myself have been a victim of the crimes this _ghost_ has been responsible for."  
Eloise sank to her knees in fear as Gustave tightened his grip on her hand.  
"I've already called the police and they cannot find her!" Brigitte exclaimed, "The only other possible explanation is something supernatural."  
"Erik." Raoul added with a wicked gleam in his eye.  
"Erik?" Gustave questioned quietly, "My father's been dead for three years – what is he talking about?"  
Eloise felt herself go limp from fright, "I have no clue."  
"Mr. Lefevre, if I may," Raoul asked, preparing to speak, "this theatre is now a joke. It's been more than two decades now that this 'ghost' has caused trouble, and I no longer want him here."  
"And what do you propose we do about it?" Mr. Lefevre asked, slightly offended.  
"I know the way down to his lair. If he has Eloise, its best we hurry before he murders her too."  
"Murder!?" Brigitte exclaimed, slightly losing her balance. Was her friend to die? She never meant for it to escalate this far…


	10. The Escape

**Chapter 10  
The Escape**

"Murder?" Gustave repeat slightly louder.  
"Shh!" Eloise begged, "I don't want them to find you."  
"Follow me." Raoul began, making Eloise begin to pray that he would run into one of Gustave's many booby traps. Then again, Raoul had been through this opera house in search of Erik once before. He knew exactly what to avoid and how to get to the Phantom's lair, beginning with the passage way through Christine's old dressing room.

Gustave began to search frantically for an explanation then. His eyes shot from Eloise to the footsteps edging closer and closer to his lair.  
"Oh my," He turned to Eloise and held her hand, "I'm sorry that you had to witness this. We'll be alright." Gustave reassured as he led her back on the boat and continued to calm her with his words. What Gustave didn't know was that Eloise was shaking to the point of tears because she feared for _him_. She feared that Raoul would realize that it had been his son all along, not Erik, and give him a future he didn't want. She feared that Brigitte would ridicule him for his face, making him slip into madness once more. Gustave felt conflicted too. Perhaps he should have let Eloise go sooner, for none of this would've happened if she had not stayed with him. _I am a monster_, he thought grimly, _for keeping a girl with so much potential to myself_.

Once they had made it to a large door leading outside, Gustave began to second guess himself.  
"What's wrong?" Eloise asked, looking for any sign of Raoul, Brigitte, Mr. Lefevre or Gaston.  
"I cannot leave without my mask." Gustave looked behind him to the echoes of voices coming from the search party.  
"It's not forever." Eloise smiled, touching his burns. "You're with me, it shouldn't matter what you look like."  
"Eloise," Gustave whispered, "no one will be as kind as you to me out there." He pulled her closer to himself and shut the door behind them.  
"Gustave, follow me." Eloise began to lead Gustave a different path, closer to the village his mother used to live in. Her mother's home was now completely empty after Geneva had refused to sell it to anybody, and soon after she left, she feared she had gone back to the house to live alone.  
"Your mother shouldn't be at that house, the village is extremely old and they won't be reselling homes."  
"If she isn't there – I don't know how to get in." Eloise breathed in deeply trying to stay calm, for Gustave's sake. "I want you to be safe," She admitted, shivering slightly in the wind. Gustave put his arm around her and felt her calm down as she felt his warmth.

Soon they found themselves looking at Geneva's house, which in a bittersweet way, was completely empty.  
"Are you alright?" Gustave asked, feeling his heart beat faster as he remembered the day that Christine had died in front of him. He knew losing a mother wasn't kind to the mind, or the heart and that Eloise was happy for him, but breaking down on the inside.  
"Yes." Eloise sighed, kicking down the door and pushing Gustave in. They were able to wedge open the lower corner of the door and crawl in before straightening the door back up. She leaned against it for a few moments, breathing in the cool air and calming herself down.  
"We're staying the night." Gustave declared, making sure the coast was clear. When he saw Eloise begin to shake with fear again, he walked up to her and placed his arms against the door, on either side of her head.  
"Gustave," Eloise began, trying to admit that she had been the one who made Raoul believe Erik was back. "The thing I wanted to tell you before was –"  
She suddenly found Gustave's lips on hers, feeling their warmth as he embraced her. Overwhelmed with emotions, Eloise let silent tears fall down her cheeks. What was she to do now? Gustave loved her, but Raoul was out for revenge with her only friend at the academy. She loved Gustave back with all her heart, but telling him the truth would send him past insanity. Frightful of the future, Eloise kissed him back, hoping they could be happy for this moment, for many more to come may not be.


	11. The Hidden Truth

**Chapter 11  
The Hidden Truth**

The light from morning shone through the broken window that lay above Gustave's head. Some wind had blown a few leaves in along with snow at night, leaving the room looking worse than it did when they had arrived. Considering what a hasty escape they'd made, Gustave began to realize how much evidence they'd left behind. It would be obvious that somebody had been living there now for _years…_

He turned to find that Eloise was still asleep, nestled against his chest. Gustave had slept on another couch, but Eloise feared Raoul would find them and sat next to Gustave for comfort. She too was beginning to realize that sooner or later, Raoul would find out.  
"We need to go back." Gustave said suddenly when he realized Eloise was beginning to wake.  
"Why?" She yawned, sitting up to face him.  
"Raoul will know somebody lived there – he will burn the place down if he thinks my father is responsible for this." Gustave sat quietly for a moment before speaking again, "I can't risk losing my father's home – it's the only thing I have left of him."  
Eloise nodded before she got up to check what was happening outside. She gasped in terror from what she saw out the window and ran behind Gustave, pushing him down and telling him to be quiet.  
"The police are here." She whispered urgently.  
"At the door?" He asked, checking to see for himself. Sure enough, there were two policemen walking down the street.  
"We have to go upstairs."  
"The stairs are broken –" Gustave exclaimed before he realized that Eloise had already begun climbing. "Be careful!" He whispered, grabbing her waist before she could fall. He began to climb slowly after her before he heard a knock on the door, freezing them both in their steps.  
Eloise shrieked suddenly as the floor fell apart beneath her feet, reminding her of the time she almost drowned. Gustave caught her before she could fall and tossed her gently up to the next set of stairs. A loud bang sounded below them and Eloise let out a scream.  
"Shh!" Gustave covered her mouth, realizing that the police had completely smashed in the door and were on their way in. "We need to climb out the window." He suggested, pointing to a large shattered window in front of them.  
"Gustave, this isn't safe."  
"Do you want to get arrested?" He asked, already helping her stand at the window ledge. She nodded, refusing to look down and lowering herself slowly. They weren't too far from the ground and a bed of bushes lay beneath them. Eloise took a deep breath and shut her eyes, carefully placing her feet along the wall.  
"Gustave, hurry!" Eloise begged as she finally made it onto the ground, lying in the snow covered bushes and checking to see if any more police were on their way. Gustave soon found himself lying in the bushes as well. He ran up to Eloise, grabbing her by the elbow and pulling her down the street.  
"We have to go back to the Opera house." He begged, realizing this was the moment to tell Eloise the truth. "I want you to go back to the academy."  
"What?" She asked, shaking her head. "I can't leave you like this!"  
"I _want_ you to leave me like this." Gustave dragged her into a nearby alleyway when he realized the police had come out of the house.  
"Don't make me do this!" Eloise begged, "I love you." She could feel another knot tighten in her throat.  
Gustave shook his head, "It's not going to be easy, but I w_ant_ you to leave." What was he saying? He didn't want to lose Eloise, but he needed her to be safe. Nothing good could come out of them being together. Was he going to have to lie again?  
"I don't love you anymore." He spit, pushing Eloise to the ground.  
"W- What?" Eloise stuttered, fighting back tears. What was Gustave trying to say? Had he not kissed _her_ last night? What had she done to earn his hate so quickly?  
"Leave me Eloise!" Gustave muttered, walking away.  
"Fine!" She snapped, feeling anger boil inside of her. "You truly are a monster…" Eloise cried.  
"That he is." A voice replied suddenly, making Gustave stop in his tracks. "The very monster that caused my life to fall apart!" The man behind the voice cupped Gustave's neck and slammed him against a brick wall. Eloise screamed and soon identified the man to be Raoul.  
"Leave him alone!" She shrieked, kicking him in the groin and watching him sink to his knees in pain. She quickly grabbed Gustave's arm and began to run past Raoul, only to be stopped by Brigitte.  
"Eloise?" She yelled, looking back at Raoul for an answer. "Y- You _are_ with the ghost!" She eyed his face, cringing in fear, "WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM!?"  
"Shut up!" Eloise screeched, pushing Brigitte aside and guiding Gustave down the street. Before she could make it any farther, Raoul appeared with a gun held in his shaking hand. He began to point it at Eloise, who Gustave pushed behind himself in terror.  
"Stop!" Gustave shouted, raising his arms above his head. "Raoul," he began, looking his stepfather in the eye.  
"Gustave…?" Raoul whispered, suddenly breaking down in tears. "Where have you been?"  
"Raoul, Erik had died and- and I didn't know any better –" Gustave stuttered.  
"Did he hurt you?" Raoul asked, referring to Erik and deeply offending Eloise.  
"Hurt him?!" She exclaimed, "Erik was a great man, he - he _raised_ Gustave to be the man he is today!"  
"That's not a good thing." Brigitte added, suddenly allowing Gustave to realize that Meg Giry was this girl's mother. He quickly remembered when Meg had tried to drown him, sending his mother later to her grave. He found himself shaking uncontrollably then.  
"Exactly," Raoul replied. "Why, my son's in no shape to be out in public. He needs help, a doctor…"  
"He needs compassion!" Eloise exclaimed, "Something I obviously could not give him…"  
Gustave's eyes filled with tears, Eloise was fighting so hard to help him and all he had done was make her miserable.  
"Obviously not." Raoul laughed wickedly, "After all, you were the one who made me believe that his monster of a father was back."  
"What?" Gustave exclaimed, looking at Eloise with hate in his eyes.  
Eloise searched for an explanation but found herself mumbling uselessly, "I – I did it because I thought you really were a ghost. I needed to tell someone –" She stuttered, letting tears roll down her cheeks.  
"And you chose _him_?" Gustave pointed to Raoul, filled with hate for him and Eloise. "He didn't know a _thing_ about my father!"  
"I AM YOUR FATHER, GUSTAVE!" Raoul shouted angrily, grabbing Gustave by the shoulder and dragging him down the street, pointing his gun back at Eloise. "Never come back for him," he warned, "for once, I won't allow someone to take away what rightfully belongs to _me._" He shot his gun into the air, making Eloise run away with Brigitte back at her heels.

She ignored Brigitte's constant apologies as she ran farther and farther away from Gustave, feeling Raoul's words pull at her heart strings. She had finally found somebody who truly cared for her, and she had allowed her thoughtless actions to ruin it. She sent one last prayer out then, that wherever Raoul was taking Gustave, she could see him once more to ask for his forgiveness. After all, she had ruined whatever life he had left.


	12. A Few Drinks Too Many

**Chapter Twelve  
A Few Drinks Too**** Many**

Raoul sat at his usual chair; watching Gustave sit furiously outside on the porch, the snowflakes nestling in his thick hair. He wanted to go out and comfort his son, offer him a fresh start and tell him that he cared for him immensely, but he knew that it would only hurt him more.  
Gustave couldn't bear another thought of any kind, especially the thoughts he kept having of Eloise. If they hadn't fought in the alleyway, then perhaps he wouldn't be stuck in this miserable home with somebody who just called himself a father as an attempt to try and bring joy back into his life. Gustave hadn't felt so spiteful in his entire lifetime. He wished that Raoul had died instead of his father, an innocent father who knew nothing except for a life of shame and misery. If Erik were still alive, he would've known what to do, but what did Gustave know? He didn't have anything near his father's skills and cunning, he had nothing that could help him escape from Raoul. Besides, Raoul had threatened to go after Eloise if Gustave stepped out of line, and he would have rather died than allowed himself to be the cause of her death. She was a seventeen year old girl who was far, far away from her home and family, she didn't deserve to be stuck in a situation with no possible escape.

As a snowflake fell onto Gustave's burns, he cringed and looked back at Raoul, who had just put down a bottle of beer. It had been _two weeks_ now that he had separated from Eloise and his Opera house. Only a few more till Eloise had to leave the country… He feared that in supervision of Brigitte, she was doomed. He still had nightmares of the moment where Meg Giry had nearly drowned him and shot his mother instead. He was sure it was an accident, but the death of his mother could _never_ be forgiven. Did her mother know that Brigitte had turned this way? That she was working with her old friend to bring down Christine's only child? To ruin his only chance at happiness?  
"Gustave, come inside." The scent of alcohol lingered on Raoul's breath.  
He nodded, slowly walking in and leaning against the doorway. Raoul smiled and took another sip of his beer.  
"Gustave," Raoul looked as if he needed to say something, but kept turning away. The final time he did this, Gustave noticed a strange dimpling in his skin just below his chest. Had he been cut? Burned? What could Raoul be hiding? He had been as healthy as a horse during Gustave's childhood, what kind of trouble had he gotten himself into during these past few years? Before Gustave could ask, a strange idea had popped into his head as Raoul took another sip of his beer. Could Raoul be so in love with his drink that he would risk his sanity for it? Perhaps Gustave could wriggle the truth out of him…  
"Raoul," Gustave called out, letting his stepfathers name slip off his tongue like acid.  
Raoul turned around, obviously trying very hard not to stumble, to answer his 'son'.  
"Have a drink with me." Gustave demanded, also trying very hard to look as thrilled as he possibly could.  
"A – A drink?" Raoul asked, pondering what had caused Gustave to ask such a thing. Had this not been the boy who had avoided Raoul for two weeks straight? Perhaps he was finally coming to his senses. Perhaps he had finally forgotten Erik...  
"Come father," Gustave replied, clenching his teeth, sitting beside Raoul and opening a rather large bottle of beer, handing Raoul the whole thing.  
"Have some, my boy." Raoul insisted, handing him a bottle and taking the larger one for himself.  
"Thank you." Gustave muttered, putting it aside and anxiously awaiting for the truth to slip Raoul's tongue. The more he began to drink, the more things he began to mumble on about.  
"You're just like Erik…" He mumbled suddenly, causing Gustave to stop refilling the bottle with wine.  
"What?"  
"Not 'cause of your face –" He stopped to hiccup, "but because of your _soul._" Raoul laughed and took another sip of his wine, "I always hated him…"  
"Why?" Gustave yelled, pounding his fist on the table angrily. His sudden obsession with Erik was beginning to drive Gustave insane.  
"He had the thing I wanted most…" Raoul smiled at the memory of Christine. "I didn't know she loved Erik so much more than she loved me." He laughed and threw the rest of the bottle to the ground. Gustave stared at him in horror, realizing what all these years alone had done to his mind.  
"Rao- Father," Gustave sighed, beginning to regret his actions. It had been Raoul after all who had cared for Gustave when he was just a baby. It wasn't his fault that Christine had fallen in love with Erik instead. Perhaps if Raoul and Erik were on better terms with each other, Gustave could have visited them both instead of bitterly hating one and loving the other. It was true, he always bared more resemblance to Erik, but that shouldn't have allowed Raoul to develop such a hatred for Erik… However, it was Raoul's fault that Gustave was now here, trapped and hidden away from Eloise. Before Gustave could finish his sentence, he had forgotten and Raoul had passed out on his chair. Gustave shook his head and began to head upstairs when he realized what had happened. _Raoul passed out_. Quickly opening the door and looking for which direction the academy was, Gustave ran outside and prayed that Raoul would not follow him. He would find Eloise and ease his mind once and for all.


	13. Another Escape

**Chapter Thirteen  
Another Escape**

Eloise closed her final textbook and shoved it back into her satchel. She would have to sell it to someone before her journey back to Canada. She had another three months to go, but leaving now would do her more justice than staying. She could feel the weight of the events that had happened to her affecting her slowly. Just as she had looked before, the bags under her eyes had returned from sleeplessness and her knees were still bruised severely from the night she returned. The bow her mother had given her lay inside her satchel but Eloise refused to wear it. She was still slightly scarred by the day where she learned her mother's house had been abandoned for years and Gustave had told her that he no longer loved her. She quickly glanced over at Brigitte's bed and smiled, grateful that she was not here tonight.

During the past two weeks, Eloise had witnessed Brigitte spiral in and out of madness. She seemed troubled as to why Eloise was so lucky to raise her marks and fall in love with a ghost and utterly repulsed at how she could love back such a monster. Brigitte had mentioned that her mother knew the Vicomte, and the only reason she had visited was because she wanted to see an old 'family friend'. Eloise knew better than that, and although Brigitte's motives seemed pure enough, Eloise knew she had horrid motives behind her later actions. Helping Raoul capture Gustave was nowhere _near_ pure and definitely out of character. She wondered what had come over her friend so quickly that she decided Gustave did not deserve a happy life. At least, she had assumed it was a happy life. She never dreamed that Gustave could have been so unhappy with the love Eloise had offered him. In fact, she was sure that she was the only love he'd _ever_had. He was definitely hers… What was so wrong about that? Why was it such a crime that she loved him? Had his parents not found love the same way?

Eloise refused to cry and stared out her window to the Opera house. A crowd of people were filtering in to see the newest production. The Opera Populaire had never looked so magnificent in all the days Eloise had laid eyes upon it. She just wished that Gustave could have been beside her to see his Opera fill with an eager audience. She left the window open to hear the crowd's conversations, the music that filled the halls of the theatre and the cars that zoomed carelessly past.  
"Beautiful night, isn't it?" A voice suddenly whispered from the window.  
Eloise turned to find a young man perched on the ledge, his silhouette oh so familiar. "Gustave!" She gasped, running to embrace him after pulling him down from the windowsill. She stopped herself before Gustave could think things had mended themselves. Although she missed him dearly, and cared for him, his words still rang in her ears.  
"How did you –?"  
"Raoul wasn't paying much attention to me and I," Gustave cleared his throat and looked into Eloise's eyes, "I missed you."  
"I thought you hated me." Eloise muttered, pushing him aside. Why had he returned so suddenly as if nothing had happened?  
"Eloise, I –" Suddenly Gustave remembered why he had been so angry with her. "Why did you confront Raoul about my father?"  
Eloise seemed wounded again, "You _told_ me you were The Phantom of the Opera!" She shouted. "I was terrified of the stories my mother used to tell me of him when I was a child…" Eloise took a deep breath hoping it would calm her down. "Did you expect me to hide all this from the world? It was too much to take in!" She stared into the night, "I care for you too much to bear the thought that I've upset you." Eloise found herself feeling sorrowful again. "I'm sorry."  
"Do not apologize," Gustave begged, watching Eloise ponder over all the events that had taken place. He had finally returned and what was she to do? Forget him completely and carry on with her life, pretending that the Phantom of the Opera and the theatre ghost were nothing but the stories her mother used to speak of?  
"Do you expect me to run away with you now?" Eloise asked, "Madame Jo has the building surrounded by eight o'clock, so we only have so much time."  
"I came to apologize," Gustave admit, "but you may do as you please." He added coldly.  
"I want -" Eloise stopped herself, she wasn't quite sure what exactly she wanted at the moment. She knew she wanted a life with Gustave, but she wasn't sure that was what Gustave wanted. She would hate to force him into something he never wanted, just as Raoul had.

Suddenly, her attention was caught by the sound of footsteps. It was too late for any visitors; it could only be Brigitte at this time.  
Gustave's eyes widened as he realized somebody was about to come into the room. Without any warning, he jumped back out the window, causing Eloise to scream.  
"Eloise!?" Brigitte shouted, bursting through the door.  
Eloise was covering her mouth and leaning against the window sill, which she shut quickly before Brigitte could investigate further. What had happened to Gustave? She could feel her heartbeat pounding against her chest.  
"What happened?" Brigitte asked, combing her hair and pulling off her slippers. "It's almost time for bed,"  
"I know." Eloise snapped, "I was looking at the Opera."  
"Miss your ghost?" Brigitte laughed, "He wasn't good for you anyways." She walked around her bed and began to open the window before Eloise grabbed her hand.  
"Don't." She warned, trying to hide the anxiety in her voice.  
"Why not?" Brigitte laughed pulling her hand away and opening the window. "No visitors are allowed Eloise."  
"Watch what you say, Brigitte." Eloise warned, looking down to the streets for any sign of Gustave. It was nearly eight, where could he have gone?  
"He was never good for you." Brigitte added quickly, climbing onto her bed. "He wasn't good for my mother either…"  
"What?" She asked, staring back at Brigitte with a confused look on her face, "Your mother?"  
"The Phantom, I mean. Not your ghost…"  
"Why not?"  
"She, told me once she just wanted his attention..."  
"Why would she want The Phantom's attention?"  
"She was in one of his best shows back at Phantasma, but he was too busy caring for Christine."  
"They _loved_ each other, Brigitte… I'm sure your mother was fantastic –"  
"I have no trouble believing that – it's just," Eloise could tell Brigitte was holding back tears, "when my father died, she began ignoring us. She was so happy before, I kept blaming it on her encounters with the Phantom."  
"You were so eager to go to the Opera though, you didn't even believe in the theatre ghost…"  
"I didn't w_ant_ to." Brigitte murmured, "I didn't want to think that he was back! That he even existed in the first place…"  
"But –"  
"You made me believe in him. And I hated you for it…"  
Eloise felt Brigitte's words shatter her spirit, what had she done but care for her friend? "Brigitte, I am truly sorry if I ruined something for you. I was just trying to find my place in this mess. I didn't _ask_ for any of this to happen – it just, did."  
"Well, none of it can be taken back, can it?" Brigitte mentioned bitterly.  
"I suppose not," Eloise smiled sadly and stared back out the window. Brigitte meant no harm; she just wanted attention, as she had, as her mother once had… as Raoul once had. She had to tell Gustave, but what was she to do with Brigitte? She realized she was already in a haze, slowly falling asleep, and muttering useless words to herself. She opened the window once more and found Gustave's face below hers. He had been hiding all along. Eloise felt a wave of relief fall over her.  
"Jump." He said quietly, watching Eloise shake her head. "Trust me; we have five minutes before the building becomes surrounded and Brigitte is not in a healthy state of mind. You can't stay here."  
"She needs me –"  
"Eloise, trust me." Gustave begged.  
When she had finally given in, Brigitte had fallen completely asleep and Eloise had one foot out the window. She fell quietly into Gustave's arms as he helped her down the same path he had used to get there earlier.  
"We have to go back to the Opera house." He declared, grabbing Eloise's hand tightly and running across the street.

The last of the previous crowd was moving in and Gustave had no trouble helping himself and Eloise blend in and out of sight. They soon found themselves back in Gustave's lair. Everything and anything in sight had been ransacked in the process of looking for them. The organ was smashed in; the curtains that were previously set on fire were now completely burnt as well the bed. All his father's old figurines and sets were now shattered completely as well as many of his candelabra's.  
Gustave covered his mouth, "I shouldn't have left."  
"If you hadn't left," Eloise began, holding Gustave's hand tightly in fear that he might go mad, "then you might have been part of the mess that lies here."  
Gustave nodded and walked away slowly from the scene, allowing her to hold him closely, calming his mind.  
"Where am I to go?" He sighed suddenly, turning to face Eloise.  
"I wanted to talk to you about that," she began, "Brigitte spoke of her mother today."  
"Meg?" Gustave suddenly looked disgusted.  
"No, you don't understand…" Eloise cleared her throat, making sure she spoke very calmly. "Gustave, your mother was undoubtedly very beautiful and very talented, more so then Meg. Raoul loved her, Erik loved her, and Paris loved her. She was given so much attention, that Meg never had any… and maybe that's why Meg and Raoul seem evil to you."  
"What?"  
"They seem evil to you because they acted horribly upon their emotions. They didn't _mean_ any harm; they just did what they thought they had to for a happy life. They weren't in the right state of mind." Eloise concluded, making sure Gustave was taking the information in properly.  
"My mother would've forgiven them if she was still here." He sighed, smiling bitterly at her memory. "Maybe it's time I should too."  
Eloise had tears in her eyes from happiness; she had helped Gustave make peace with himself.  
"I need to do something first though, and I want you to be there with me."  
"Anything." Eloise grinned, letting go of Gustave's hand.  
"Come with me to visit my father's grave," he whispered, "I haven't visit him since he died."  
Eloise pondered the thought, "No harm could come from it," she breathed, "I'll come with you."


	14. Journey to the Cemetery

Chapter Fourteen  
Journey to the Cemetery

The snow was falling lightly once more, flakes landing on Eloise's eyelashes, making Gustave smile at her beauty. He was still as clueless as to where their relationship had gone, but was beyond thankful that he had someone to share his first visit to the cemetery with. Being the only cemetery within miles of the Opera house, he knew that his mother had been buried there as well. Raoul had made it a personal goal of his to have her buried there, and within a few days from her death, she was.

"Gustave," Eloise sounded nervous, "how did your father die?"  
Gustave hesitated at first but took sighed and took a calming breath, "Three years ago, we had left Phantasma to visit France to see my mother's grave. One night, while I was sleeping, he disappeared. I looked around the entire city for him but he was nowhere to be found. I thought about contacting Raoul but when two months passed, I realized that maybe, Erik had died." Gustave took a shaky breath, "It wasn't until I heard a few people talking about finding a man in a mask dead in the river that I realized he had committed suicide. I didn't know why…"  
"What?" Eloise found herself short of breath, "How could Erik do such a thing?"  
"I never knew. I was so angry at him that I found his lair and tried to rebuild it. It took so much time I dropped out of school and once I burned my face – I gave up my old life." Gustave shook his head, "I wanted so badly for him to be remembered, and I couldn't do it. I felt like I failed in my family."  
"No, don't say that!" Eloise begged. "Your father would have been proud of you no matter what you decided to do with your life. So would your mother." She breathed in the cold air, "Sometimes, life moves on without you, but you shouldn't stop _living_ Gustave. You're a wonderful person; you just need to see that."  
Gustave grinned and took Eloise's hand.

They were both now standing in the middle of the cemetery, tears streaming down their reddening cheeks. The trees were all rimed with ice; giving them hues of silver and blue beneath the star dusted sky. With only a few crows perched silently on the branches, they both began to notice how eerie the atmosphere was. A heavy layer of fog was beginning to move in, clouding their vision, and making the two hold onto each other with certain protectiveness.  
"I don't understand," Eloise sighed, trying to fill the silence as they continued to through the cemetery, "why would he do that?" She shook her head and finally realized they had arrived. There was a thick blanket of snow on all the tomb stones, some of the smaller ones were completely submerged in it. Eloise felt her stomach churn; she never liked cemeteries.  
"Where to start..." Gustave sighed, looking around carefully, "I can see my mother's last name…" He suddenly gasped, running with Eloise shortly behind him. A large grave at the end of the cemetery had _Daae_ written on the top and surely, it belonged to a famous Swedish violinist and father, to Christine Daae.  
"Gustave," Eloise began suddenly, but stopped herself, he needed some time to himself. . This was an important moment for Gustave; she didn't want to ruin it, even if she did hate sadness, particularly his.

Gustave realized his mother's tomb lay near his Grandfather's. He froze in his tracks and felt tears rush once more to his eyes, rolling silently down his cheeks as he wept and Eloise watched with a broken heart. _This boy didn't deserve to be orphaned_, Eloise thought. She was so miserable all the time but she _had_ both her parents. She had an incredible opportunity to visit France. Gustave had _nothing._The only thing he claimed to have was Eloise, and even she felt like a lousy addition to his life.

Without another word or tear, Gustave was suddenly gone and Eloise felt her heart beat faster once more. Where could he have gone in the dead of night? Had he really left her all alone in the _cemetery_?  
"Gustave!" She called out; beginning to search frantically for his silhouette in every direction. She then began running; searching every grave in the cemetery for Erik's name, for surely Gustave would be there. After her tenth row of tombs, she bumped into him, falling on top of his chest. She could see his cold breath in the darkness, but he was quivering. Something wasn't right…  
"What's wrong?" She quickly stood up and begged Gustave for an answer.  
"I – I couldn't find Erik's grave, I searched the whole cemetery…"  
"I couldn't find it either…" Eloise whispered, fearing what was to come next. "This is the only cemetery in Paris Gustave, are you sure he died _in_ Paris?"  
"I'm positive. He – he drowned in the River Seine. This is impossible! THEY BURIED HIM HERE!" Gustave screamed looking for some explanation. Eloise sank to her knees and began to tremble, especially after she sensed another person close by.  
"Gustave," A voice called out, but Eloise knew this voice all too well. It was Raoul.  
"Get behind me," Gustave ordered as she obeyed, trembling so violently now that her vision began to blur.  
"What do you want?"  
"For you to come back." He said bluntly. "This is no place for a _child_."  
"You think so?" Gustave clenched his teeth and moved closer to him "Do not dwell in the past Raoul; you need to let me go."  
"I can't, no, because if I don't take you back" Raoul seemed to acting stranger than usual, "– Erik will."  
"What?" Eloise spit, fearing that he had finally slipped right out of sanity. "Erik is dead…"  
"No you idiot," Raoul sighed, suddenly grabbing Eloise and pinning her to a tomb nearby. "You think I would care for any of this if he was dead?"  
"She can't breathe Raoul! Let her go!" Gustave exclaimed, pulling Raoul back as he retrieved his gun.  
"I told you to stay away from him, Eloise." He shot one shot bullet into the air and one directly at Eloise. It hit her in the shoulder as she let out a bloodcurdling scream. Gustave punched Raoul in the face and watched him wipe the blood from his nose, staining the ground beneath them. Gustave cupped Raoul's throat to another tomb watching his eyes glisten with fear. Memories of the bet he had so long ago made with Erik about Christine flooded his mind – this child w_as_ much like his father. Raoul suddenly hit Gustave in the head with his gun, sending him flying backwards. Eloise lay motionless on the ground, trying to make the others believe she was dead so they could leave without causing much more trouble.  
"Eloise!" Gustave called out as Raoul dragged him away, his voice echoing in the silence and piercing her thoughts. "ELOISE!" He screamed again as she heard him cry. She had to stay absolutely still until they were gone, only then would she get help. She couldn't risk having Raoul know he hadn't succeeded in killing her; it was the only way to keep Gustave alive.


	15. Raoul's Decision

**Chapter Fifteen  
Raoul's Decision  
**

Trying to ignore the searing pain her arm, Eloise covered her wounds with a trembling hand and ran after the footprints that were pressed into the snow. She needed a doctor, but she feared that if she wasted any time, Gustave would meet his death all too soon. His father was a_live,_and as much as it baffled her that such a thing could be true, she didn't doubt it. For once, she saw a glimmer of hope in Gustave's future, more hope than she could have ever offered him. Trailing blood behind her, Eloise ran faster and faster, knowing exactly where Raoul had taken Gustave regardless of the footprints.

Raoul had finally dragged Gustave back into the depths of the Opera house, stopping in front of the cage that guarded the lair.

"LET ME GO!" Gustave shouted, finally breaking free of his stepfather's violent grip, falling to the floor and gasping for air. "If you want me to let you _live_, tell me what happened to Erik first."

"Oh Gustave, I must admit - I doubted you very much. I never would have guessed you would catch on so quickly." Raoul moved slowly around Gustave, pacing in circles. "Your father was the reason we ever visit Phantasma." He spit, "The very place your mother _died_." He sighed, "Where you left me for that _thing_."

Gustave nearly raised his hand on the Vicomte but caught himself in time. "_What happened to my father_?"

"I found out that he was coming back to Paris, that he had you with him and that after eight years of what he made me go through, I could have my revenge. He truly was Mephistopheles, a circus freak, a sin." Raoul laughed and Gustave stared back at him with hatrid. "One night, I found where you were and caught your father as you were sleeping. I had no clue how you had snuck back to Paris, but he made sure that he made me regret ever finding you - he nearly took my life," Raoul raised his shirt to reveal a long red mark going across his stomach and extending to his chest. He recalled when Erik had taken his sword and threatened to stab Raoul.

He had of course believed Erik, knowing that he undoubtedly was much quicker and smarter than him. It killed him to think of it so he took a rope nearby and threatened to kill Erik the same way he had killed so many others. Erik then disappeared and reappeared behind Raoul, tying the rope around his neck and slashing his torso, laughing at the stupidity Raoul had shown.

Raoul found himself staring at Gustave with the same disgust, "Of course when I threatened to kill you, one way or another, he gave in. Especially after I mentioned I wouldn't hesitate to blow up Phantasma in a heartbeat. It was the place where his beloved Christine died in his arms, where he met you, where he managed to ruin my life… How could he bear to lose it?" Raoul laughed and stopped directly in front of Gustave, pushing him back slightly. "Your father's been back there ever since, not having the same cunning he used to all because he wanted to save poor, helpless Gustave."

"You're lying!" Gustave screamed tackling Raoul and watching him fall into the waters, scraping his head on the rocks below. He backed away when Eloise's words rang in his head.

_He just wanted some attention,_Gustave reminded himself.

"Fine!" He shouted, helping Raoul up and ripping his own shirt. He tied the fabric around his stepfathers head and watched Raoul stare back at Gustave, completely baffled.

"What are you doing?"

"Giving you what you wanted." Gustave smiled sadly, "A son."

"What?"

"You wanted me, didn't you? You wanted what always belonged to you! So _take_it." He said through clenched teeth.

Raoul looked as if he didn't know what to do with himself. What had he become? Did he really want his son to throw away his life for him?

"Gustave," Raoul began, "I'm sorry." He pulled out his gun and placed it near his temple.

"RAOUL NO!" Gustave screamed falling to his knees. "Don't do this."

Raoul smiled strangely, cocking the gun, "I can't bear this life anymore Gustave. I'm sorry I've hurt you _so_much."

"No!" Gustave repeated, sobbing uncontrollably, "I loved you, Raoul." He sighed, "Father."

"Father?"

"You were my father before – him." Gustave felt his own words stabbing him in the heart. He had to save Raoul from his own death. He had to stay alive.

"No, he was always your father." A glimpse of hatred shone in Raoul's eyes. He breathed in deeply and tightened his grip on the gun, trembling violently.

"Raoul," Gustave looked into his eyes, "don't do this." He moved closer, "For me."

"I've done enough to you, son. It's time I do something right…" Raoul shut his eyes but opened them quickly as he heard another voice.

"Raoul!" Gustave turned to find Eloise, barely alive, being carried on a makeshift stretcher by Brigitte and another boy, with a woman behind them. She had bright blonde hair and a pained face. It was Meg. "Raoul, I beg of you, don't do this to yourself."

"Meg Giry…" He smiled, "this must look all too familiar to you."

Gustave remembered when Meg had tried to kill herself suddenly, feeling his vision blur from tears. He ran to Eloise and picked her up, holding her against his chest.

"Eloise..." He whispered calmly, realizing Eloise was as cold as death. He kissed her head and watched as tears streamed down her blood stained face. Brigitte watched in bitter jealousy.

"Raoul, don't you dare shoot!" Meg begged, "I wish I had been able to tell myself that before I ever pondered the thought." Meg begged, moving closer and closer to Raoul. "I have two kids now, Raoul. You know them well." He looked back at Brigitte and Etienne with guilt in her eyes. "You have one too, and he still loves you. I'm very sure of it."

"How do you know?" Raoul asked coldly, offending Meg slightly.

"Neither of us realized it, but Coney Island brought out the worst in us. Gustave is your son, whether you chose to accept it or not. I never thought I'd have been so jealous of Christine, yet I was. Things happen, but never throw away _your_life because of it. Raoul don't do this, I beg of you." She looked back apologetically at Gustave and he nodded solemnly. Meg smiled as Raoul lowered his gun. "You cannot blame yourself for these things Raoul. I never realized how much it hurt my family when I did…"

Brigitte smiled at her mother's words and held onto Etienne's hand, distracting him from Eloise, whose eyes were beginning to glaze over. The children were rattled by the sound of the bullet splashing harmlessly into the water . Raoul sank to his knees suddenly, throwing the gun aside, weeping silently and being comforted by Meg. Gustave let out a sigh of relief and watched as Eloise smiled, then suddenly shut her eyes.

"No, no! Eloise! Stay with me!" Gustave patted her cheek and checked for a pulse, making sure she was still alive.

"Let me drive you to the hospital," Etienne offered suddenly. Gustave nodded hesitantly as they began to make their way out of the caves, Gustave forgetting what he had left behind.

Nothing but sadness and tragedy awaited them in that lair – it was time to move on.


	16. Eloise's Decision

**Chapter Sixteen  
Eloise's Decision  
**  
Eloise could feel her breath shortening from pain, as the bullet wedged deeper and deeper into her skin. The only thing that managed to comfort her was the steady beating of Gustave's heart against her face.

Earlier, she had run to the academy in search of Brigitte who was being dropped off at the academy by her brother.

_ "B- Brigitte…" Eloise fell to the ground at her feet, sending Brigitte screaming._

"Why are you bleeding!" She shouted, covering her mouth and backing away into Etienne's car.

"Help me," Eloise gasped, edging closer and closer to Brigitte.

"Did the ghost do this to you?"

"No," Eloise coughed, "but he's in trouble."

"Eloise I can't –"

"I'm begging you. If not for me, then for an innocent man. Please…"

"What's happening?" Etienne asked as he exited his car, stopping in fear at the sight before him.

He kneeled beside Eloise, examining her blood stained hand and realizing it had come from her shoulder.

"'Loise, what happened?"

"I don't have any time to explain, I need your help." Eloise stopped to breathe in some air.

She grabbed some snow to cool her face. Blood stained her body further instead and made Etienne shake his head.

"Eloise, I'm taking you to a hospital."

"No! Etienne, I beg of you, don't!" She looked at Brigitte, "Raoul has Gustave. He's not feeling well, he's going to do something he'll regret."

Etienne looked at her wounds, "He did this to you, didn't he?"

"Yes." She sighed, trying to stand but falling again. Suddenly the door opened and a tall, slender woman made her way near Eloise.

"Raoul? The Vicomte de Chagny?"

"Yes," Eloise looked at the woman strangely, who was she?

"Come children, we must help this girl." She declared. "Where are they?"

"The Opera House, I'm sure they're in his lair._**  
**_  
Gustave's voice sent her back to the present.

"Eloise, my angel," Gustave whispered quietly, trying to keep her conscious.

He began to sing quietly, filling the car with his sweet music. Eloise smiled, feeling Gustave begin to cry as the car came to a stop.

She could not believe how much had happened in a few weeks, and she definitely could not believe that she had fallen in love with the very thing she feared in the first place. Eloise couldn't care less about Canada or University at the moment; she just wanted to stay alive so she could see Gustave's face once more. She wanted thank him for being part of her journey, for reminding her that there could still be excitement and happiness in her life.

"Eloise, you're going to be okay." Meg whispered to her quietly followed by what sounded like an agreement from Raoul.

Raoul had been more affected by these two children than in his entire life. He had never thought that he would have turned into the monster. He had forgotten that Erik had let him hold Christine in his arms as she died, not bothering to run after Gustave. Gustave had chosen _him._

Brigitte and Gustave were finally beginning to come to terms with Meg and Raoul's state.

Although the events that had taken place in the past few months seemed as if they had only lead to disaster, none of the wonderful things that had happened along with them would've happened.

Eloise finally felt accepted, Gustave was no longer shy and afraid of the world, Raoul knew his son still cared for him, Brigitte and Etienne knew of their mother's secret past, and Meg forgave herself for all the years she had allowed her mind to drive herself insane.

The most important thing that Eloise could think of though, was that Erik was still alive. The very man that had impacted each and every life in the car was still out there somewhere, regretting that he had ever let Gustave go. All she could think of before she felt consciousness drifting away from her was that if she stayed alive, she would be able to help Gustave search for his father.


	17. A Note

**Chapter 17  
A Note**

When Eloise had been wheeled into the operating room, Gustave had felt his heart tear into a million pieces. In the hours that she lay unconscious, the surgeons had dug out the bullet that had pierced through her skin, and saved her life. However, she would not wake. No matter how Gustave sang, no matter how Brigitte prayed, no matter how much Raoul apologized for the fate he had brought upon this girl, she lay motionless.

Soon after, Meg had taken Raoul to a rehabilitation centre nearby her home for the help he needed to recover from alcoholism and the state of mind he was in. She herself had gone to this centre in the last few months, praying that this would finally be the thing that saved her from her own mind. Brigitte had gone back to Etienne's house for a week of spending time with his mother for the holidays. It would be Christmas now in a matter of days, and she needed time to forget what she too had done to herself. She had allowed a simple problem with her friend to change her sanity.

Eloise had now been unconscious for three days, making Gustave sit in the room and watch over her as she had no one else. It was his worst nightmare to be out in public without his mask, but no one dared say a thing to him. Gustave didn't see it in himself, but he was turning out to be quite the man, towering over even Raoul. In fact, some of the nurses nearby found themselves commenting on how unfortunate his burn was, for he would have been even more handsome without it. It was of course rude and shallow, but gave Gustave a certain confidence. He realized now that his father's face may have been shocking, as was his, but times were beginning to change. What once was an abomination - was now acceptable.

The sun shone brightly through the hospital window, making Eloise blink as she finally opened her eyes. Her own body felt like a foreign place to her as she began to move again, realizing that her arm was cradled in a sling. Gustave was sleeping soundly on a chair next to her bed, suddenly waking to find Eloise standing in front of him.

"I-" Gustave found himself at a loss for words. What was he to say to her? What w_as _there to say?

Eloise sighed, "I apologize for what happened Gustave," she looked around for any nurses and shut the door to her room. "Why aren't you wearing a mask?"

"It's useless here. Maybe outside though..." He began, chuckling. He embraced Eloise gently; making sure her arm was alright. She felt the colour return to his cheeks as she laid her head upon his shoulder.

"It's over now, isn't it?" She asked, trembling beneath Gustave's touch. Then she bit her tongue, "What about Erik?"

"I don't know – I can't take Raoul's word for it."

"We should look for him." Eloise suggested.

"What about your father?"

Eloise sat down on her bed and smiled, "I only promised _myself_ I'd return in three months. I have another three to go."

"Eloise, where is this going…?" Gustave asked, eyeing her carefully.

"I want to help you search for your father."

Gustave "Would you really?"

"Most definitely." Eloise smiled, suddenly drawing her attention to the door.

"Gustave?" A nurse asked, standing by the doorway with a letter held in her pale hands.

"Yes?" Gustave asked, getting up and taking it from her. A red wax skull sealed the envelope and Gustave exchanged glances with Eloise.

"The Vicomte left this for you upon his departure." She said before leaving. Gustave tore open the envelope, keeping the skull in his vests pocket.

He began to read it out loud, "_Dearest Gustave, I have never felt so empty in all my years. After Christine had died, I thought it best to raise you without Raoul. I realize now, that this may have hurt you more than I thought. These, and many other things you'll learn later on in life, are the reasons why I have left you. Do not hate me; I cannot bear to have you think any less of me than you already do. You have truly helped me heal my mind, and I cannot thank you more. I will be at Phantasma if you should ever receive this note and Raoul has not hidden it away. I promise we will be together again someday. I hope you have taken care of yourself_." Gustave could feel his heart drop to the bottom of his stomach, "_O.G._"

Eloise tried to make something out of the abbreviation, "Opera ghost?"

"My father," Gustave corrected, feeling a certain determination come over him.

"You will see him again." Eloise reassured, smiling sadly and suddenly exchanged another glance with Gustave.

They both knew that this was not the end of their journey, at least not until they found Erik, The Phantom of the Opera.

**Fin**

**Authors Note: Thank you to every single person who read, reviewed, favourited and followed my first fanfiction! Especially to judybear236, you're editing has helped me become a much better and careful writer! Perhaps there will even be a sequel... :)**


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